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Cosmology of Quest for Glory
The Cosmology of Quest for Glory is something that is rarely discussed in the Quest for Glory series. But there are a number of suggested ideas. Geography The Geography of Gloriana, is both implied to be the same as Earth, but also quite different in some places (Marete is different than Crete although both are mentioned, and both may or may not co-exist within the same world, or separate worlds). Or perhaps somewhere between the configuration of Gondwanaland and modern geography (perhaps explaining why some locations lie much closer than their real world counterparts, see signs in jungle in QFG3, or random signs in the desert in QFG2). Historical references References to historical events or historical figures (from many periods of Earth's history), either have to coexist within the past, present or future of Gloriana's history, or individuals must know of events and figures that occur in a parallel world (there are no direct or confirmed indirect references to 'parallel or co-existing' earths within the published lore however, nor of characters somehow crossing over between two earths). Non-Linear Time Perhaps lands of Gloriana do not exist on 'linear time', but rather various eras exist at the same time (perhaps some kind of 'time crash' has occured), perhaps various lands exist at different points in history (pockets of time). Spielberg is locked back at 8 Zillion BC with elements of Medieval time period that 'moved'/'travelled'/'crashed' there. But at least some characters have been in the Crusades. Shapeir has people from relatively modern 20th century Fredonia (America) but exists in generally medieval Islamic Persian country. Lawrence of Arabia has already fought in the First World War there it seems on a Saurus. It won't be until 5-6 generations in the future in that electricity will be created from the perspective of time form Hero's home country (Willowsby). Whereas electricity and more Victorian age has already occurred in Mordavia (and Cranium is only two generations removed from his famous descendent in the time of computer games). On the other hand some of the hero's backstory suggests he's traveled around Fredonia at some point before he decided to become a Hero (and may even have Fredonian relatives). Fredonia references seem to suggest its already living through its 1960's and later periods, and has its own technological marvels. Silmaria is filled with oddities from many different eras and technological advances. They haven't yet invented flight, submarines, or sattelites but have monochrome computers. The Change The Change (QFG) is an event discussed in Quest For Glory 3 in which animals apparently became sentient and quickly evolved into humanoid and centaur beings. Thus explaining the various humanoid dog, katas, liontaurs etc. Very little is known about this, and if it is an event in Gloriana's history, or even if if it is something that was part of importance of the formation of the magical universe. Earth's distant past (alternate history) This is an idea suggested in Quest for Glory 4, and somewhat tied to a general Sierraverse concept. In this idea Gloriana is an ancient earth past (or not so ancient, and only a few generations removed from the late 20th century) similar to the concept of Hyborian Age in Conan series, or the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ages in the Tolkien universe. Or at least concerns nations that co-exist with other historical earth nations either hidden or unknown to most of the world (see Harry Potter's concept of Hogwart's, the muggles, and the wizard's worlds), and similar to one of the cosmological concepts for the King's Quest series. One example suggests that QFG1 takes place possibly far into the past, circa 8 zillion BC. Mount Everest is supposedly seen (it supposedly gets bigger), yet on the other hand the Hero is said to have thought about climbed Mr. Everest in the past, and how Zauberberg reminds him of the mountain. Of course there is the strange reference to Gondwanaland (a geographical supercontinent from about 200 million years ago, discussed in a strangely contemporary way in QFG5. Also dinosaurs are very much still alive and exist all over the world of Gloriana. Perhaps some time distortion or time travel is involved explaining some of the anachronisms, and knowledge of future and past events. For example its possible that Amelia Earhart became lost from 20th century earth into the period of Gloriana, or is she somehow a 'lost contemporary' of Gloriana's "1930's period"/present/recent past, or even possibly part of Gloriana's future (the Gargoyle states she will not show up in Spielburg for at least a couple of centuries"She'll be here a couple of centuries from now. Come back then."). In this world it seems Greece, and Ancient Rome, and Helena have already happened. But part of Rome's glory is still retained in the city of Nova Roma. But in the future Dr. Cranium's great-great grandson will become the owner of the Castle of Dr. Brain and have a video game made about him. Dr. Brain assuming he didn't travel across from one world to another lived in a castle in the Sierra mountains near Coarsegold the site of the former headquarters of Sierra On-line. Dr. Brain's own Cerebral Hemisphere appears to possibly be its own separate planet or even possibly parallel world from the Earth he originated from. It's not so much that Gloriana exists on the real world, but on a fantastical version of the real world, that ultimately evolves into a fantastical 'future' that is similar to 20th century present, but also with its own whimsical quirks. World War 1 occurs, but Lawrence of 'Arabia' may have ridden into some of his battles on Saurus. By the time of Dr. Brain more or less a mirror of the late 1980s and 1990s similar to the Sierraverse world that Leisure Suit Larry or Police Quest takes place in (or what Peter Spear describes in his Leisure Suit Larry Bedside Companion as a kind of 'multiverse' where Sierra's games exist in a kind of parody of the real world, including its own parodies of Sierra Studios). Whatever the case time and space is rather 'loose or fluid' in the Quest for Glory universe with characters knowing of events that are supposed to happen centuries in the world's future, events that seemingly happened already, even things from zillions and millions of years ago coexisting in the present (dinosaurs are still alive), and these all add up anachronisms that are not fully understood. In QFG1, 'electricity hasn't been invented yet' (but apparently toaster ovens have). It's implied it won't be invented for several generations, the Hero's great-great-great-great-grandson (who hasn't been born yet, will know how to use it), but by QFG4 its being used by Dr. Cranium, and the scientists in QFG5 are using it, and even gone as far as inventing monochrome computers (but have not invented 'VGA' yet). But they haven't yet invented flying machines, sub-sea-surface vehicles, or orbital artificial satellites (but have stations to land, dock, and launch them from). In QFG2 it is said that Bicarbonate of soda hasn't been invented yet. These (and other references to the 'future') are all the sort of references that seem to suggest that the narrator, and others see Earth of the present (c. 20th century) as their later 'future' at which some point as time progresses they become. Another way of looking at this is that in this interpretation Earth/Gloriana isn't so much as a co-existing parallel world, but an alternate past for the earth that modern humans currently inhabit (mass extinctions of dinosaurs, and other creatures will happen at a later date, and for the most part history ultimately self-correct itself into something closer to the real Earth, but not quite). That is to say there is no evidence that 'real Earth' coexists 'parallel' with Gloriana, but that Gloriana might be the real Earth in the Quest for Glory universe's 'alternate history' (and historical Earth as we know it never existed). It might also be that the predictions of the future/anachronisms within Quest for Glory lore, may represent the 'real history of the world', while modern history books (as we read in the real world) are the 'revisionist historians' take on the world (in denial of the magic and whimsy that once existed within the world, and trying to find serious explanation to things that are unexplainable in the non-linear nature of the world's history). In a sense merging real world and fictional world of Gloriana into one. The Sierraverse The Sierraverse concept fits in a number of things such as a knowledge of Rosella, Graham, and general knowledge of Daventry (which is punned as Daventree), Dr. Brain is the great-great grandson of [Cranium, the Hero once knew the fairy Genesta, the Leshe is annoyed by one known as Cedric, the Wizards Institute of Technocery existing in a kind of pocket universe between all points of space and time (Roger Wilco, and Cleveland are mentioned), and some other assorted 'easter eggs' and plot points. The Two Guys from Andromeda gave a hand to defend Spieburg, and it exists in the same universe as Phleebhut and Ortega. Likewise some of those other sources also make references back to the world in which Quest for Glory takes place in, such as Graham never having attended the Famous Adventurer's Correspondence School. Perhaps noteworthy when taking this concept into consideration is the reference that Roger Wilco has traveled through "space and time, and every other dimension" (which may suggest that there are number of parallel universes involved in the Quest for Glory universe). During the Hoyle series, in particular Hoyle 3 Baba Yaga and Ad Avis interact with a number of individuals from across the whole of the Sierra World. Force wave concept (parallel universe) Finally there is the unused (and not completely confirmed) Force wave concept said to be used by the Coles especially in their own private pen-and-paper RPG, and perhaps in the defunct School For Heroes storyline. As this is not actually mentioned in the games (or related officially published lore), it has no practical signifigance, and is of a dubious nature (i.e. not canon). The Force wave concept suggests that world is a parallel earth that divided at 1 b.c. and evolved at different rates than on Earth. But shared some similar events in earth history. Both our present earth and Gloriana coexisting in separate places. Geographically as mentioned Marete may look very different than Crete in QFG5, but in some of the non-canon (as in not part of Sierra's copyrighted or published canon), School for Heroes version of the universe Marete looks pretty much like geographical Crete. In addition there is a reference by Corey Cole in regards to an issue formin the Long timeline that suggests some sort of extended period between Quest For Glory 3 and Quest For Glory 4 of 3-4 years. Corey suggests the possibility of 'alternate-universe' or 'dimensional' travel (does this suggest there being multiple parallel 'Mordavias' as well?, or that Mordavia exists in a kind of separate but connected pocket universe of its own?). :Ref time travel - If the designers count when it comes to canon, I can say that no time travel was intended. As far as we're concerned, the five-game Quest for Glory series takes place in linear order, with an unspecified amount of time between each pair of games. The Hero does not necessarily arrive immediately in the next adventure location. :The only possible ambiguity is the question of how the Dark Master's summoning spell worked. That is not well defined, so time or alternate-universe travel is possible. If so, Erasmus's spell that transports the Hero to Silmaria might have "cleaned up" the dimensional side-effects of the Dark Master's spell.http://www.hero-u.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=292&p=2551#p2551 Of course 1 b.c. date leaves certain plot holes, it would hardly explain other major anachronisms such as dinosaurs still alive, or even ancient cavemen living in the Lost City, the 8 Zillion BC or Gondwanaland references. Some fans wonder if the concept of the Change (QFG) relates to the force wave. Whatever the case this concept has had influence on some of the fan fiction. See also *Cosmology of Quest for Glory *On the Origin of Daventry *Sierra World *Multiverse Behind the scenes The mismatch of concepts alluded to within the games may have something to do with the fact that Quest For Glory games were designed by a number of different programmers, some of which inserted their own ideas into the games (and not necessarily part of the original script as written by the Coles). References